“By order of the Royal Court,” the officer says.
“Why?”
“He won’t say or doesn’t know,” James tells him. Finally dressed, he glances into the worried eyes of Dave and says, “Stay with Illan. I’m sure we’ll have this all cleared up in no time.”
“Okay,” he says.
Escorted out of the room, the guards fall in place around him as they lead him down the hallway. As he leaves the room, he sees a worried and anxious Miko standing in the hall not more than a few feet away.
“James?” he asks, fearfully.
“Don’t worry,” he assures his friend. “I’m sure this is all a big misunderstanding.”
“I hope so,” he says as Illan comes out of the room and they watch him being led away. Just as he begins descending the stairs, he hears Miko holler, “Don’t eat anything!”
Don’t eat anything. That’s good advice. On a previous occasion back in Lythylla, he had eaten food laced with a narcotic which rendered his magical abilities useless. He may get hungry, but he really doesn’t plan on eating or drinking anything while he’s incarcerated. He just may need his magic working.
Outside the inn, their party turns down the street toward the gate leading into the castle area. The streets are filled with soldiers and guards. “What’s going on?” James asks his guards.
Unresponsive, they ignore his question as they continue marching on toward the gates. Once past, he’s led across the courtyard and through the gates of the castle itself.
The flurry of activity within the castle is even more harried than that which was witnessed outside. Pages are racing through the halls and men-at-arms are stationed everywhere.
Instead of taking him to the Royal Court as he at first expected, they take him through a different set of hallways and finally down a flight of steps into what has to be the castle’s dungeon.
At the bottom of the stairs lies a room with several holding cells for prisoners. Currently they’re all empty though they look as if they could hold several hundred in a pinch. They move to the first pen and one of the guards opens the cell door. The guard behind James pushes him on the back, indicating for him to enter.
Seeing no benefit to resisting at this time, he acquiesces and walks forward. Turning around to face his guards as they close and lock the door, he sees them about to leave and asks, “Can you at least leave me a torch for light?”
One of the guards gives him a look of contempt and says, “You’re supposed to be some fancy mage, why don’t you make your own light?” His fellows all begin chuckling and laughing at that.
Shrugging, James says, “Very well.” Suddenly, the entire area is filled with a blinding white light as dozens of extremely bright orbs blossom into life throughout the room.
The reaction from the guards is all he could hope for when they turn tale and run out of the room. Chuckling to himself as the last man runs up the stairs leaving him alone, he cancels the spell. The darkness of the holding area lasts but briefly before his normal glowing orb springs to life next to him on the bench. He leans back and tries to get comfortable.
Smiling to himself, he feels under his shirt and rubs the slug belt he had put on when he got dressed to come here. The guards hadn’t even realized what it was. Alone in the dark, he ponders why he’s here and waits.
After James and his escort of guards goes down the stairs, Illan gestures Miko to follow him into James’ room and close the door.
To Dave he asks, “Just what happened?”
Shrugging, he looks up from where he’s sitting on the bed and replies, “I don’t know. They just came and took him.” Dave’s command of the language has greatly improved over the last week or so. Being completely immersed in it has helped. Though still not understanding every word and nuance, he’s a quick learner.
“What are we to do?” Miko asks.
“You two stay here and I’ll try to find out what’s going on,” he says.
“Okay,” replies Miko. Dave just nods his head.
Leaving the room, he heads downstairs and finds Miss Gilena in the common room wearing her night dress and a robe. She’s standing near one of the windows looking out upon the street and turns when she hears him coming.
“They took James,” he tells her.
“I know, poor boy,” she replies sadly.
“Do you know what’s going on?” he asks.
Shaking her head, she says, “No. One of my servants woke me up when the guards appeared. They didn’t say much other than they were here to take him to the castle for questioning.”
Illan looks out the window and sees guards and soldiers moving up and down the street. “I’m going to find out what’s going on,” he says as he moves for the front door.”
“Be careful,” she says.
“Not to worry,” he says, pausing at the door. Pulling it open, he steps out into the street and begins moving toward the gates to the castle area. If there’s any place he’ll be able to find out what happened, it would be there.
He doesn’t get more than half a block away from the inn before a man wearing the uniform of the city guard sees him and moves to intercept. “There’s a curfew in effect,” the guard says as he comes close. “You’ll have to return to your home.”
“But why?” Illan asks. “What happened?”
“Someone’s assassinated the adjutant to the Empire’s Ambassador,” he explains. “His body was found outside the walls of the city in the poor section. The adjutant had been decapitated.”
Gasping, Illan’s mind begins to whir and things are beginning to click into place. “Do they know who did it?” he asks the guard.
Shaking his head, he replies, “If they do they haven’t told us about it yet.” Motioning back the way Illan had come, he says, “Curfews in effect until morning, so get off the street.”
“Very well,” he says as he turns around and heads back to the Silver Bells.
As he comes through the front door, Miss Gilena gives him a worried expression and he says, “There’s a curfew and they won’t let anyone on the street until morning.”
“Did you find out what this is all about?” she asks, coming over to him.
“They said someone from the Empire’s Ambassador’s party has been killed,” he tells her.
“Surely they don’t suspect poor James do they?” she asks, concern etching the features of her face.
“I don’t know,” he tells her. “I’m sure we’ll know more in the morning.”
“I hope so,” she says as she goes back to her place near the window.
Illan turns and heads for the stairs. Returning to the room where the other two wait, he enters and closes the door behind him. “We’ve got problems,” he tells them.
“Like what?” Miko asks.
He briefly explains to them what he learned and his suspicion that the powers that be will think James is the one who killed the adjutant.
“Why would they think that?” Dave asks.
Looking at him like he’s an idiot, Illan explains. “Just hours after James finds out the Empire wants him extradited from Cardri for crimes he’s allegedly committed in their land, one of the prominent members of their delegation is killed. Think about it.”
Nodding, Dave says, “I think I understand.”
“What can we do?” Miko asks him.
Sitting on one of the beds, Illan says, “Nothing we can do until morning and the curfew is lifted. After that, we’ll see what we can do.”
Miko moves to the window of the room and looks out over the city to the silhouette of the castle in the distance. Hang in there James!
Holding still and quiet against the alley wall, Jiron, Fifer and the Parvati wait while four members of the city guard march past. Once they’ve moved further down the street away from the opening of the alley, Fifer whispers to Jiron, “We’ve got to get off the streets!”
“I know that,” he replies with impatience.
Still on the outside of the outer wall, they’ve been unable to get back into the city. The whole area is
